How to Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe-- FAST

From the time we wake up, life is determined to throw challenges our way– the first of which often being, “what do i wear?”

For some, this is an easy answer-- they just don’t care. 

But what about the guy who always looks perfectly dressed and still manages to be right on time everyday? 

How does he do it? 

Two words: “Capsule Wardrobe.” 

A Capsule Wardrobe is just a curated collection of clothing and accessories that can be mixed and matched to create a variety of outfits.

A well‑curated business casual capsule wardrobe streamlines your morning routine, reduces your decision fatigue, and gives you the ability to cultivate a cohesive, professional aesthetic. 

By focusing on versatile, high‑quality staples you can mix and match to create dozens of outfits from a limited set of pieces. 

Keep reading, by the end you’ll have all the knowledge to build your own capsule wardrobe or you can use our curated business casual collection to revamp your entire wardrobe, all at once.

To build your capsule wardrobe you first have to know what style you want to embody. 

You could spend your day looking through fashion books, watching fashion shows, learning designers, and memorizing style names… or you could just pull some inspiration from film and television. 

There are people who are paid handsomely just to pick outfits for particular characters who’ve already done all the hard work for you.

This will give you a perfect starting point to know what you want your style to be and you can then adjust it to fit exactly how you want it to look.

Over time you’ll begin to cultivate a signature style that conveys confidence and professionalism no matter your industry. This will become your personal style you can add pieces to dress it up or down so you’ll never be out of something to wear (unless you skip laundry day).

Now, let’s go over all the pieces you’ll need to build out this wardrobe.

First, Shirts & Tops

Crisp button‑ups in white or subtle stripes form the foundation of any business casual look. Powder blue and cream shirts are also good staples to have. 2 white shirts, 2 blue shirts, and 2 textured or patterned shirts should be enough to cover your week and keep your looks dynamic from day to day.

Not everyday is a suit day though, having at least two knit tops or lightweight sweaters in neutral tones will add layering options for cooler days or air‑conditioned offices. 

You’ll also want a lightweight cardigan that you can keep at your office. 

This way, even on the hottest days, you won’t have to worry about being cold in the office.

You’ll want to be sure to grab some high quality T-shirts or A-frame shirts to serve as your base layer as well. 

Now onto the Pants.

The fit of your pants can make or break your outfit more than any other individual piece. You can’t just swap out your pants mid-day like you could a jacket or sweater and its difficult to cover-up an ill fitting pair (it is about half your body, give or take). 

Fortunately the suits we’ll discuss in a moment will come with a pair of matching pants but unless you want to be stuck wearing only a suit everyday you’ll want to pick up a couple extras.

2 pairs of chinos and 2 pairs of plaid pants will keep you covered and cool in any weather. Other than black or navy, you should opt for lighter colors to be more versatile as they should match any shirt you choose.

Next are Blazers & Jackets. 

Blazers are typically purchased as separates (individual pieces), but when purchasing a suit you’ve acquired a perfectly well put together outfit you don’t have to think about. 

That being said, you should start with neutral colors and shy away from intricate patterns that will make it difficult to pair with other pieces of your capsule.

When the weather gets cooler you’ll want to have an extra jacket. 

You should have at least one overcoat, something longer and heavier that creates its own silhouette and one more traditional jacket like this leather jacket or a bomber jacket. 

If you’d rather opt for one all-around jacket, peacoats are perfect for this. 

They can be dressed up or down and fit perfectly over most any outfit.

Of course, you’ll need some underwear but I’m sure you know best when it comes to that department. 

Moving on to the shoes.

This is fairly simple, loafers, derby shoes, and ankle boots all serve to complete your look without drawing undue attention. If this is your first pair, look at your choices for the other pieces of your wardrobe and determine whether a black or a brown shoe would fit best. 

Then, over time you can expand your collection with different shades. For now, focus on what works best with what you have. 

From here you’ll want to get matching accessories, a belt that matches your shoes, a nice watch, and some tasteful pieces of jewelry all go to bring your outfit together. 

If you aren’t a fan of wearing jewelry, consider swapping rings and bracelets for a lapel pin and tie bar. These elevate your outfit without being too flashy or drawing too much attention. If you like the look of cufflinks, make sure your shirts will allow for them.

Now that you know what all needs to go into your capsule, here’s a simple step-by-step list of how to go about making your style all your own.

1. Conduct a Wardrobe Audit

Sort through existing pieces and set aside items you love and wear regularly. Creating a capsule wardrobe isn’t about buying all new clothes, it’s about finding what you like and building your wardrobe around that look.

To keep things streamlined, donate or store anything that doesn’t fit your business casual vision.

2. Define Your Color Palette

Stick to 3–4 base colors (e.g., black, navy, gray, camel) plus 1–2 accent hues. This ensures every piece can coordinate effortlessly. Consider your environment when you do this, if it’s cold most of the year, opt for a darker palette built around navy, black, and grey. Avoid making black your primary color to avoid a consistent mourning look. Colors like navy or charcoal will give your outfits the neutral tone that black can, without being boring.

3. Prioritize Quality

Invest in well‑made garments with durable fabrics and impeccable tailoring. 

This doesn’t mean you need to spend 1000s of dollars on one outfit, but rather spending an extra $25-$100 depending on the piece can go a long way. 

A quality suit can run you $200-$300 before alterations. 

If you spend anything more than this, you should be purchasing a bespoke suit made to your exact measurements, otherwise you’re paying for a brand markup, not a higher quality garment. 

Cheaper clothing might look great, FANTASTIC on the first wear but by the 3rd or 4th wear you’ll begin to notice the imperfections in the garment and it’ll be time to buy a new one.

Over time, quality items will outlast fast‑fashion alternatives and maintain their appearance for years to come.

4.  Fill Gaps Strategically

You might take a look at your wardrobe and have a lot of these items covered, specifically button-down shirts or quality dress shoes. 

It’s not necessary to buy new ones if the ones you have look good and fit well. 

However, you might need to add a good blazer to your collection or a different style of pants. 

Try different combinations to find the missing pieces in your wardrobe and acquire those first. 

5. Plan Outfits Ahead

Once you have all your pieces assembled, find out what combinations you like best and put them into a grid or hang them together to make finding your outfits easy. 

As you get more comfortable with these combinations you’ll be able to branch out and start putting these fits together on the fly.

6. Elevate and Expand

As you become more comfortable with the capsule you’ve created you can begin to elevate your collection by purchasing higher quality items or different styles.

If you started with a pair of loafers, you might want to upgrade to a pair of monk straps. 

If you started with a basic pair of dress shoes, try adding a pair of brogue lace-ups.

If you opted to just get a peacoat, you can add an overcoat to give your fits a different feel.

Simple swaps like these both elevate and expand your wardrobe, slowly overtime so you don’t go back to the decision fatigue you had before creating your capsule.

You can then replicate this formula with casual wear, more formal wear, or even for your next vacation.

Now, if you want to get a head start on your new wardrobe, we've created a capsule wardrobe collection just for you. If you decide to build your wardrobe here, use code DVXCAPSULE for 15% off your order over $100.